A Princess's Tale
by Tazski
Summary: A retelling of the story in Fable III with a few added twists- may be Ben/Princess at some point. Princess Maia has never known anything beyond the walls of Bowerstone Castle. So when she has to escape the castle with Walter and Jasper, the vestiges of a revolution at her heels and the daunting reality of her legacy, can she overturn the darkness spreading through Albion? T maybe M


**A/N: This is my favourite game series ever. If they would mix the way the game was set up in Fable TLC (such as places, plot, spells, character customization) with Fable III interactions, you get an amazing game. I think Fable II and III were far too easy. It took me 18 months to finish the first Fable :P**

_**Summary: A retelling of the story in Fable III with some added twists- may be Ben/Princess at some point. Princess Maia has never known anything beyond the walls of Bowerstone Castle. So when she has to escape the castle with Walter and Jasper, the vestiges of a revolution at her heels and the daunting reality of her legacy, can she overturn the corruption spreading through**** Albion?**_

**Anyway, this is my first time writing out of the anime/manga fandom and in the Games fandom :] so I hope you enjoy it. Personally, I felt that I found it far easier to write for Fable than for anime/manga, because I don't particularly have to worry about OOCness and can manipulate my character traits- as in there's no restriction on how my character behaves. And yes- there will be twists, and it won't just be a copy&paste of the storyline in Fable III.**

**Please review and tell me what you think.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Fable series.**

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_And thus, our story begins. _

_A Princess has been born into the royal family, orphaned just as she was born. The good Queen has passed away, and the King, The Hero of Bowerstone, lies on his deathbed, surrounded by his two faithful servants, Sir Walter Beck, and Jasper._

"_You must promise me something," The King rasps, his chest heaving from the illness._

"_I promised to serve you till your last breath, and that shall be so," Walter begins. "What do you decree, your majesty?"_

_The King glances at the small cot next to him, housing a small bundle wrapped in pink._

"_My Maia will have to grow up without the support and love of her parents. Promise me you'll protect Maia with your life. Promise me that you'll serve her till your last breath, Walter,"_

"_You need not ask, Your Majesty," Walter replies in a low voice, still kneeling. "Her Royal Highness shall always be in my care. You have my word."_

_The King grimaces slightly, his face contorted in pain. "She has a lot to learn..." he murmurs. "Logan shall have to ascend to the throne at his tender age. But even though he is ten years Maia's senior...I sense something sinister in him,"_

"_What do you mean, Your Majesty?"_

"_I have conversed with the Blind Seer..." he mumbles. Walter looks on in confusion, before the King continues. "Logan will not be able to protect his sister in addition to the weight of the responsibilities that comes with the throne. It shall be your duty to oversee the training and upbringing of my daughter. You must also promise one last thing, Walter,"_

"_I shall."_

"_My Maia is special, Walter. She has something that nobody in the whole of Albion has. You must promise me that one day...one day, when Maia is ready, you will take her down to the Catacombs. There, she shall learn of her legacy, of the ancient blood running through her veins. This much I do know- one day, Maia shall be far more than the people's Princess. She has a long, arduous task in front of her, and I fear she cannot complete it herself. You must guide her not just through this task, but through her destiny. But not as a mentor- as a father. Walter, you must be the father I could not be. Promise me."_

" _I promise."_

"_Then all shall be well, my good friend, for the Kingdom shall be in good hands. Farewell," and with a last sigh, the old Hero King breathes his last in his bedchamber atop Bowerstone Castle._

* * *

"Good morning, Madam," were the first words I heard, as I cracked my eyes open a fraction, the familiar canopy of my four poster gracing me.

"Wheeearg?" I mumbled, yawning widely, as I sat up in bed. "What time is it-aargh.." I moaned, as a dazzling shaft of sunlight blinded me, revealing a picturesque view of the courtyard outside. I squinted at my butler, Jasper, dressed in his traditional coat, who was holding a glass of orange juice in front of me.

"Drink up, Madam," he spoke, his voice as cordial as ever. "Your...ahem, young friend is waiting for you in the lower courtyard by the cherry blossom tree. I raised an eyebrow, detecting a faint trace of amusement in his voice, but spoke nothing of it, instead choosing to drink up my orange juice and polish off the rest of my breakfast. After cleansing my face and arms, and brushing my teeth, I ambled back into my bedchamber in my silk pyjamas, only to find Jasper stood besides two mannequins, each with a different outfit on it.

"As you can see, Madam, I have taken the liberty of arranging two different outfits on these mannequins. After all, you do want to look your best, do you not?"

I actually thought that Elliot wouldn't care even if I was dressed as a sack of potatoes, but again, I kept my comments to myself, and picked the more practical looking outfit of the two. After all, I didn't want to appear too intimidating to Elliot by donning a full regal outfit.

"A good choice Madam, you might want to-"

"No peeking, Jasper," I warned, pulling off my pyjama shirt before he could protest, smirking slightly as the butler cowered- gracefully I must admit- his eyes shut tight.

All too soon I was ready, bidding Jasper goodbye as he held open the door, before shutting it behind me. I broke out into a light jog through the sunlight drenched courtyards, anticipating my first meeting with Elliot in almost two months. I heard a loud bark, and my favourite canine companion ran out to meet me, jumping on his hind legs, as I scratched him and ruffled his fur.

"You're a good boy, ain't ya? Who's a good boy? You are!" I crooned, ignoring the snooty, upturned looks of the noblemen and women parading the courtyard. Fat slobs.

I continued on my way, until I saw the familiar outline of the cherry blossom tree, and underneath it, my childhood sweetheart, Elliot. He was well dressed today, his cheerful face breaking out into a wide grin at the sight of me. I thought I'd play around with him for a little. All of a sudden, my faithful companion broke loose, running up to Elliot and raising his paws and standing on his hind legs, allowing Elliot to scratch him and ruffle his fur, like I had done.

"Betrayer," I muttered under my breath, my face composed as I walked up to Elliot.

"You and I, my faithful companion, shall fight as brave knights, side by side, won't we?" Elliot was saying to my dog, his expression playful. I fought the urge to burst out laughing but managed to catch myself in time.

"And we shall protect our dear Princess, shall we not? We brave knights shall remain ever loyal to you, and fight to protect you with our lives!"

"I can take care of myself, you know," I said in my most regal voice, eyes narrowed, eyebrows raised, chin in the air.

"Oh, is that so?" Elliot said, leaning in closer towards me. I felt the familiar _thud thud thud_ of my heart, the slight shake of my hands as he moved in. Even 6 years of dating him hadn't, and wouldn't change that.

"Care to give me a demonstration of your abilities?" he whispered into my ear. I sighed, caving in and pulled him towards me, kissing him gently on the lips, arms around him. I felt his arms wrap around my waist as he deepened the kiss, before eventually pulling away and allowing me to rest my head on his chest. I noticed that his breathing was faster, heavier even; his chest knotted with what was unmistakeable tension.

He let go of me, and I looked up at him, a puzzled expression on my face. His face had grown serious, and he looked away, instead staring out at the factory smoke rising down from Bowerstone Industrial. I'd never been there myself as I'd never been allowed past the courtyards, but I knew working conditions were harsh, and that Logan was taxing the people rather heavily. However until now I hadn't taken much notice of it- but now that I came to think of it, Elliot's parents still lived in Bowerstone Industrial.

I waited, knowing that Elliot would tell me whatever was on his mind. After a long, albeit pregnant pause, Elliot began to speak.

"Listen...there's word going round the Castle that your brother's had a worker executed. I'm sure it's only a rumour, but you can imagine that the Castle workers are worried..."

"When did this happen?" I asked, beginning to get worried. Logan often had people punished one way or the other, but never had anyone executed unless it was for murder. Even then, an execution was a public affair. I would know, having had to attend every one that had taken place since Logan had ascended to the throne after my birth.

"This morning, I believe," Elliot answered. "Maybe you should go talk to the staff, reassure them... they may hate Logan's guts, but I'm pretty sure they still care for their princess,"

"You're right," I sighed. Trust Logan to go round causing trouble _again._

"So, will you take my hand and lead me, my fair princess?" Elliot asked, some of his former playful humour returning.

I smiled at him, despite myself, and took his hand.

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**So, what do you think? Let me know via review :D**


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